Locomotive.



H. C. RAAB L l. H. DUNDON. LoCommn/E.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1816.

Patented Dec. 1T, 1918.

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LOCOMOTIVE.

APPLxcMlon msn FEB. 2a, 191s.

1,288,1 85. Patented Dec. 1T, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

HENRY C. RAAB AND JOHN H. DUNDON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

LOCOMOTIVE.

Application led February 29, 1916.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY C. RAAB and JOHN H. DUNDoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotives and has special reference to the power plant or engine of a locomotive, the primary object of t-he invention being to produce in connection with a locomotive truck and boiler, a steam'driven engine of the rotary type, the latter' being combined with the locomotive truck, boiler and other parts in such manner that the engine is driven directly by the steam, doing away with much of the complicated structure now incident to the manufacture of locomotive engines and at the same time materially reducing the cost of manufacture and upkeep of the locomotive and furthermore materially reducing the amount of lubricating oil now required with the present day locomotive.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a locomotive, illustrating the application of the present invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine.

Fig. 3 is a Vertical longitudinal section through the engine.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the engine.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rotor.

This invention contemplates the employment of a rotary engine which will ordinarily be driven by steam, although, as the description proceeds, it will become apparent that any other expansive fluid such as air may be used in connection therewith in place of steam. The engine will, however, be described as a steam engine.

The engine comprises a frame or casing l which is formed with a cylindricalgrotor chamber 2. The engine frame or casing is extended above the rotor chamber to provide an integrally formed boiler saddle 3 upon which the locomotive boiler 4rests,the frame or casing of the engine being supported by the locomotive truck frame 5. The casing or frame of the engine is further provided with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Serial No. 81,243.

pressure relief valves 6A and at the rear side the casing is provided with inlet casings 7 and 8 hereinafter more particularly referred to, while on the opposite or front side the engine frame or casing is provided with an outlet or exhaust valve casing hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Rotatably mounted in the cylindrical chamber 2 of the casing or frame of the engine is a rotor comprising a central body 10 and blades 11 extending outwardly therefrom in radial relation thereto. As shown in Fig. 5, the rotor comprises a central dislishaped web-like portion or partition 12 while the blades 11 at one side of the partition or head 12 are arranged in alternating or staggered relation to the blades 11 at the other side thereof, the arrangement serving to produce a more even and continuous torque on the engine shaft designated at 13 and to which the rotor is iixedly secured.

The rotor shaft 13 is extended at its opposite ends beyond the heads 14 of the casing, which heads serve to close the ends of the rotor chamber 2 and are preferably made detachable for obvious reasons. On the opposite ends of the shaft 13 are mounted cranks 15 having wrist, pins 16 on which are journaled the rear extremities of connecting rods 17 which are shown as connected at their opposite or forward ends to the adjacent driving Wheels 18 of the locomotive.

Each of the valve casings 7 and 8 is provided with two ports, one arranged to discharge against the blades at one side of the central head 12 of the rotor and the other to discharge against the blades at the other side of said head. Connected to the casing 7 are the discharge ends of the branches 19 and 20 of a steam supply pipe 21 the receiving end of which is arranged in the steam dome 22 of the boiler 4. Another steam supply pipe 23 extends from the steam dome 22 downwardly through the boiler where it is provided with branches 24 and 25 which lead into the lower valve casing 8. The pipes 21 and 23 extend through the bottom wall 26 of the locomotive boiler where they are provided with caps 27 as shown, the branches 19 and 20 leading from one of said caps to the engine and the branches 24 and 25 leading from the other one of said caps to the engine all as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The inlet valve in the casing 7 has its stem or shaft 28 extending outside of the casing where it is provided with an arm 29 lto which is connected a rod or linl 30 extending rearwardly to a valve adjusting lever 31 in the engine cab. The stem or shaft 32 of the other valve is likewise operatedby means 'of an arm 33 thereon vto` which is connected a rod or link 34 extendingfback to another` valve adjustinglever 35 in the engine eab. The engineermay thus open or close either of said valves in a positive manner. The upper valve being opened to permit the steam to drive the rotor in one direction, andthe other valve being opened to rallow the steam to drive the rotor in the opposite direction, the engine in this way being reversible.

The pipe 2l is controlled by means of a valve 36 held normally closed by means of a weighted yarm 37, Jthe valve 3G beingprovided with an operating arm 3S from which a rod 39 yextends rearwardly to a throttle lever y40 in the engine cab. The pipe 23 is likewise controlled Aby means of a valve 41 normally closed by means of aweighted arm 42 and provided with another arm 43 from which a rod 44 extends to a second throttle lever 45 inthe engine cab. At the opposite or front side ,of the engine frame or casing the valve casing 9 is provided with a pair of exhaust pipes 46 which extend upwardly through the smoke box and into the smoke stack 47 from which the products of combustion are discharged. The upstanding-receiv-y ing end portions of the pipes 21 and 23 pass through a perforated plate or screen 48 which separates the steam dome 22 from the body of the boiler and acts to prevent water from entering the steam dome thereby providing for the delivery ot' comparatively dry steam to the supply pipes 21 and 23, the receiving ends of which are preferably flared as vindicnted at 49. 50 designates air cylindercocks shownas communicating with the bottom of the engine frame oricasing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with kthe accompanying drawings it will now 'be understood that when the valve 36 is opened by operating-the appropriate throttle lever in the engine cab, the steam enters the upper portion of the chamber Qand rotates the engineshaft insuch a manner as to drive the locomotive ahead. By closing the valve 36 and opening the yvalve 41, steam is admitted through the pipe 23 to the lower side of the rotor chamber where it acts to turn the rotor in the reverse direction for backingthe locomotive. meansA of the valves in the casings 7 and 8,

rtheamount of steam admitted to the rotor chamber may be regulated so as to economize in the use of ste-am and to furnish steam in accordance with the load on theengine. 'As compared with the ordinary locomotive, there are Imany more impulses, and by arranging' the blades 11 of the'rotor alternatingly as shown in Fig. 5 or in staggered rela-` tion to each other, the .noise of the exhaust is almost continuous even when the locomotive is running at comparatively low speed, the engine hereinabove described being of the high speed type. By doing away lwith many of the expensive ,partsof `the present day locomotive, the price `of production and maintenance is correspondingly .reduced and the locomotive may be operated vwith a considerable saving ot' lubricating oil.V

Having thus described our invention, we claim :H n

In a rotary steam engine for locomotives, a saddle, a rotor casing fastened to the bottom of said saddle, inlet valve casings commimicating with lsaid, rotor Vcasing and arranged in spaced relation to each other, steam supply pipes leading rto said valve casings and each having two branches, a cut-olf valve for each. of said branchesythe receiving ends of said steam supply pipes being arranged in the dome of the locomotive boiler, independently controlled throttle valves for said pipe in said dome, the rotor kof said en` gine comprising two sets of radially extending blades located atopposite sidesy ot,

the center thereof and arrangedopposite the respective steam supply pipe branches.

ln testimony whereof :we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. RAAB. JOHN H. DUNDON. Witnesses JOHN F. CANTWELL, WINIFRED Winn.

`Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. iD. 

